Viviane's Travels
by T0PD0G
Summary: Viviane reimagined younger and with a more Lara Croft vibe. One day she decides to run away from home with Hot Rod and encounters Trinity, an organization that is after her family's secrets. She goes on a quest to discover these secrets before meeting up with Cade and Burton and the rest of the events of TLK expunge. Terrible at summaries, better one inside! Some Hot Rod x Viviane
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys. You must be thinking "why isn't she working on that other story?" Well, you know, muses happen, and they need to be taken care of. This will be a story of a few chapters, may be continued. I will get back to my other story!**

 **Anyway, when I first saw Transformers The Last Knight I thought Viviane was going to be a Lara Croft character a la Transformers, but sadly not really. So, this is me making her into more of a Lara Croft character. Also, more Hot Rod and Viviane! They were so cute together! I hope they interact more in the next film! Hot Rod is adorable. I'm also getting rid of Cade x Viviane because ew, no. I'm making her younger because it fits the idea I had better. In this she is 16. I took some aspects of the newer Lara Croft videogames and merged them with Viviane. The organization named Trinity is an organization LC fights in the videogames but I modified it to this universe. I don't own anything except the idea.**

 **Also, I'm American, not English. If I get anything wrong, sorry I don't know your country! I kept forgetting you guys drive on the other side of the road and the driver's side is on the other side, lol.**

 **I hope you enjoy! If you do please review, like, or follow!**

* * *

Viviane was a smart girl.

While her IQ was never measured, she was always told she was a genius. She picked up things very quickly, such as mathematics and astronomy, and excelled in her classes. She went to a private school that allowed her to skip a grade due to her diligence. She would always get top marks in both the classroom and athletics. By the age of 10 she had read one hundred books, some classics but mostly about history, a subject which fascinated her. She got that enthusiasm from her dad, people told each other.

Viviane was a sad girl.

What people didn't know was that even if you're rich and smart and pretty, you can still be sad. When she was 6 her mother was shot while on a walk with her and her father. She later died from her injuries in the hospital. Ever since then, her father has been indifferent to her. Almost every day he would disappear into his study and throw things in frustration when he didn't understand. He stopped coming to her sporting events and award recognition ceremonies. Her father spoke to her less and less every day and never concerned himself with her progress in school and life. Sometimes he would leave for a week or two in that Citroen DS of his and leave Viviane in the care of the maids. He would never speak of where he went or what he did during these times. Soon, she stopped asking. Or caring.

Viviane is now 16 years old and fed up with her life.

She is laying on her queen bed in her large room, limbs stretched out and staring at the ceiling. Viviane, or Viv as she likes to be called nowadays, retreated to her room after another argument with her father. Not only was she just _now_ informed that the mug she made for him when she was 7 was broken after he threw it against the wall in frustration 3 weeks ago but a maid had also brought 7 suitcases into her room and set them down on the ground.

"What are those for?" she has asked.

The maid, a Japanese woman in her forties named Harriet, turned to her with a sad smile. "Viviane-"

"Just Viv."

Harriet straightened. "Viv. I'm sorry, but your father has requested that you pack your things. He is sending you to an elite boarding school for girls in Scotland, one that focuses on STEM."

Viv's mouth nearly dropped to the floor. Her already tear-filled eyes leaked tiny droplets. "What?" she barely got out in a whisper.

"He's had this prepared for about a month now. He asked us not to tell you for he wanted it to be a surprise."

"What, did he think he was doing me a favour?" she shouted. "I don't even like STEM! If he ever bothered to listen he'd know I was interested in history, English, and archaeology!"

"I tried telling him that, honey, but-"

"But he didn't listen to you. He listens to no one but himself! Everything is what he wants and how he wants it!"

After Viviane demanded Harriet to leave her alone is when she fell back onto her bed and cried. About a half hour later, all her tears gone, she lay on her bed with a headache. Slowly, she turned her head to the side to look at her clock. It read 8:35pm.

 _No,_ a voice in her head said. _No. I will not take this anymore. I_ cannot.

She slowly rose to a sitting position, one hand cupping her head to ease the throbbing her crying had caused, and looked at the suitcases. They were of varying shapes and sizes yet all coloured a pastel pink. Each of them were metal and had locks to prevent thieves from taking what was inside. The set must have cost a thousand dollars. Her father wasn't even her father anymore: he was her personal bank full of never ending money.

Her mind set, she took a medium sized suitcase and filled it with clothes and toiletries. In another, smaller suitcase she packed 3 books- a childhood favourite, Merlin's Tales of Dragons, A Clockwork Orange that she plans to reread, and a scrapbook a friend made for her containing pictures of her and her friends throughout the years- boots, a Swiss army knife, a flashlight, and a throw blanket. In her black North Face backpack she stuffed her wallet, favourite hat (a beanie she knitted with help from Georgina, a maid and a very close friend who recently passed), and laptop and charger. She decided against bringing her phone, deciding it would be too easy for her to track, so she wrote down her friend's phone numbers on a slip of paper and slid it into her backpack too.

She looked up at her clock. 10:01pm.

Not a single person came in to check up on her, ask her if she was okay. Ever since Georgina died a few weeks ago, some of the good maids- the ones who cared- left to avoid bringing up bad memories, so the maids in her house now were either new or didn't form attachments during their work. Long story short, the only person in her house that cared about Viviane was Viviane.

Viv quickly changed into a pair of jeans, a long sleeved maroon t-shirt, black sneakers, and a black hoodie. She tied her long dark brown hair behind her in a bun and pulled the hood up. She slid the backpack over her shoulders and in her right hand she grabbed her two suitcases, one on top of the other, and headed over to her door. Her hand hovered over the knob, hesitating, and she looked back over her shoulder. Her dark blue eyes scanned the room one last time, soaking in what she would be missing, and she muttered a small 'goodbye' before slowly opening the knob to her room.

All of the maids had gone home for the day, of this she knew, so it was only her and her father left in the house. She figured he was either in his room asleep or in his study throwing more precious mugs against the wall, but she still tread quietly on the off chance he stepped out to go to the bathroom or grab a drink or some food.

She carried her luggage down the stairs and left them by the foot of the stairs. When she arrived at the kitchen, she checked around the corner first to see if her father was in there. When she saw he wasn't, she put her backpack down on the table and filled it with food and drinks. She zipped up the bag after she was satisfied with enough rations to last her a few days, grabbed her luggage, and headed into the garage.

Stepping inside and closing the door behind her, she turned on the light. There were 3 cars in total in that garage but sitting in front of them all, by the garage door, was that stupid black Citroen DS her father adored. In fact, she was sure he loved that car more than he loved her. Viv hesitated before hitting the button that opened the garage door. While it was relatively silent, it still created a lot of noise and she cringed until it was over. She stood in place for a few moments, craning her head to listen for any sounds of movement from her father upstairs, before smiling to herself when she heard nothing.

She made her way over to the car, grabbing the keys on the way there. The suitcases she placed in the trunk of the car but she placed the backpack on the passenger seat. She slid the key into the ignition and turned, the car roaring to life. Taking a deep breath she drove the car out of the garage and into the night.

While all her friends' parents taught them how to drive, her father sent her to a driving school to practice in other people's cars. She owned only a provisional driving license but thanks to her ability to catch onto things quickly, driving was a breeze for her. She just hoped she wouldn't get pulled over.

Viv set out for the bank first and parked in front of the ATMs but far away enough that the car's license plate wouldn't end up on security cameras. She kept her hood up and her head down while using the ATM and while walking toward it. Using her father's credit card she withdrew $1500 from the machine, the max the credit card would allow. She didn't want to be tracked via phone or plastic payments so she resorted to cash for now. Tomorrow, she promised herself she would buy a prepaid phone to call only her most loyal friends. After the withdrawal was complete she snapped the credit card in half, threw it into a trash bin, and drove off in the car.

Viv looked at the car's clock: 10:47pm. She was pretty tired from all the crying and the stress and decided to drive an hour down a road she's never been on before and parked in the middle of a field. After turning off the car she got her blanket from the trunk and laid down in the backseat.

This was the first time tonight that she stopped moving and relaxed, both physically and mentally. She tried not to think about what she was doing, what she was leaving behind, but she couldn't help it. She has considered running away before but she was never serious nor attempted. Now here she was, sleeping in her father's car in the middle of a field an hour outside Oxford with absolutely no plans for her life.

If there was one thing Viv prided herself on was her smarts. She'll figure out how to live within a week, picking it up as quickly as she picks up other things. She can find a way to make or secure money, maybe buy a camper and attach it to the back of her car. She only has another year before she turns 17 and can get her license and until then she can probably forge one. She can finish her last year of school online with her laptop and go to college, live in a dorm or a flat. She can finally choose her own path in life, do what she wants to do when she wants to do, and be rid of that horrid place she called home.

After talking herself into it more and calming herself down she sighed and wiggled to get comfortable on the warm leather seats (why were they warm?). It was about 10 minutes later when her body resigned herself to sleep.

A black sedan came to a stop by the side of the road and turned off. The driver sat back in their chair and focused on a single car parked in the middle of an open field. They leaned back in their chair and crossed their arms, letting out a deep sigh.

They can wait.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for those who have reviewed, followed, or just viewed! I'm having a lot of fun with this idea and writing again makes me happy :) The next chapter may be a little slow but it'll pick up again. Viv will find out about Hot Rod soon so stat tuned! I hope you liked this chapter!**

* * *

Viviane's Travels

Chapter 2

Well, this is concerning.

He knew that the family dynamic had some...problems. He knew completely engrossing yourself in your wife's murder and family history would mean spending less and less time with your daughter. He knew this would mean she practically grew up without both her parents and, according to the internet, this would lead to problems.

But he never imagined it would lead to this.

Here he was in the middle of a wide and empty field, off-roading, with his (temporary) boss' daughter in his backseat asleep. Once he saw her walk into the garage with 2 suitcases and a backpack, he automatically knew she was running away from home. Some humans' offspring like to do that when there are troubles at home. He's just glad she chose him to leave with- he didn't know what he'd do if she left without him.

From the moment of her conception he was charged with her protection. Well, he was charged with the protection of the entire family, mainly this line, but more so the successor. He has been protecting the Wemblys for generations and will continue to protect them for it was his duty as a soldier.

But, he had to admit, he was at a loss as to what to do. Should he phone her father, let him know where they are so he can take her home? But wouldn't that create an even greater urge to be more successful the next time in young Viviane? Maybe next time around she would leave the house with nothing but the clothes on her back and take a bus somewhere unknown to be murdered or...or...

No, he wouldn't let the father know. Once he wakes up tomorrow and realizes his daughter and his car- THAT car- has gone missing he will know she is in good hands at least. He won't let anything happen to her.

His sensors picked up movement a little ways away. There was another car driving on the road she pulled off of. He normally would think nothing of it except this car happened to pull to the side of the road. Stop. Turn off.

Were they being followed?

* * *

It was late morning when Viv finally woke up. When she opened her eyes they came into contact with the back of the passenger seat. This didn't feel like her bed. Where-

Oh, right.

Sighing, she slowly raised herself up into a sitting position with the blanket still wrapped around her. The side of her head she laid on felt raw and she rubbed at it. Her ear was numb. Her body ached and her eyes still hurt from crying.

How do people live like this?

Her stomach growled and she laid back in the seat looking at her surroundings. It was really quite beautiful to wake up with nature in the middle of nowhere. There were no maids rushing into her room demanding she get up and get dressed, put on loads of makeup, and head off to school. Here it was quiet and slow.

The sound of her stomach growling again roused her out of her stupor. She had skipped dinner yesterday due to her fighting and stress and was due for some food. Reaching into the front seat she opened her backpack and drew out an apple. She fixed the blanket over herself once again and sat back, consuming the entire apple. It wouldn't hold her over for long, but she figured she can just throw the apple core out the window and not carry around trash, which is what she did.

When she was done she folded up the blanket and put it back in its suitcase in the trunk. Sliding into the driver's seat she turned the car over and prepared to leave the field when the sun's glare stopped her in her tracks.

She couldn't drive with the sun in her eyes! In her hurry yesterday she forgot to pack her Ray Bans. She looked around in the car for a pair, opening the glove compartment (only to find nothing, weird) until she finally found a pair on the driver's visor. It was her father's Ray Bans.

She took them out and put them on. It smelled like him, which she hated, and it was too big for her face and made everything look blue but it was better than crashing because she couldn't see. So she left them on her head and drove out of the field, back onto the road, and away from there.

Where would she go now? She didn't know. She looked at the clock and it read 9:03am. She needed to stay away from cameras and people that could recognize her, that is if her father reported her missing. He was probably still in his study with his face buried in a book. Typical.

So she drove down this long, empty road that didn't seem like it would end anytime soon for a few minutes until she noticed a car approaching her rear. Looking back in the rear view mirror she saw it had a single occupant, a woman maybe in her thirties, and she drove a black sedan.

Considering it non-threatening, she continued on driving at a steady 25mph and cracked her sore neck. Maybe it was best that she drive at least another hour or two away before she stopped for fuel, both for the car and for her? If there was an APB out for her they would start searching towns around Oxford so she would need to be outside their radius of search to not get caught. Maybe she should turn on the radio and check the news? Viv sighed. _Running away required so much work!_

Looking back in the rear view mirror for a routine check while driving she noticed that the sedan was practically riding her back bumper. Probably someone who wanted her to go faster. Clicking her tongue in distaste she put her right blinker out and pulled off to the side of the road. She rolled down her driver's window and waved her hand, signaling the person can go around. The sedan rolled by her slowly, the driver's side window open as the woman in reflective sunglasses looked inside Viv's vehicle until her eyes met Viv's. The woman scowled and drove in front.

 _Okay, rude?_ Viv said to herself.

Suddenly, the sedan stopped in front of Vic's car, blocking off reentry to the road. The woman in front parked and got out of her vehicle, turning and staring at Viv.

Groaning, Viv parked, took off her Ray Bans, and got out as well to try to diffuse what she saw to be a dumb incident of road rage. Viv looked the woman up and down to see what she was dealing with. The woman had her blonde hair in a high pony, red lipstick, and a navy blue pantsuit with navy blue flats. She looked like she was on her way to work (in an air conditioned office considering it was near the end of summer). Why would she stop just to yell at Viv for going slow? Wasn't she already late?

Viv raised her hands in a questioning matter. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Are you Viviane Wembly?" asked the woman in a matching British accent.

Viviane's heart sunk into her stomach. Oh, my god, her father DID call the cops about her disappearance! And what was this lady, a private eye? "Um, no?" Viviane tried in what she admitted was her worst lying voice. "What, why?"

"Viviane Wembly," said the woman, stepping forward. "I am from Trinity. Your family has many secrets, poor, young Viviane." The woman stopped right before Viviane and pointed a small pistol in her face. "You're going to tell me them all."

Viv gasped and backed into her car. _Where did she get that gun?! Why was she threatening to kill me? How does she know who I am? How did she find me?_

 _Wait._

Viv cocked her head to the side. "Family secrets?"

The strange lady- from Trinity? What's that?- wasted no time in hitting Viv in the face with the butt of her gun. Viv fell to the ground and groaned, rubbing the side of her face where she was hit. _That fucking hurt!_

The lady slammed her foot down on top of Viv and resumed pointing the gun in her face. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, you little rich bitch!"

Viv gasped and spit out some blood. "I really don't!" she managed to grown out. She was still recovering from the first hit.

The lady cocked her gun, loading the bullet into the chamber. Viv stopped moving at the sound. "You know, I don't really need you. I can easily just ask your father or kill him and raid his office. That's actually the easier option for me, believe it or not. I'm giving you one last chance to tell me or I swear I'll blow your brains out!"

Viv held her breath. This woman was being deadly serious. If Viviane said the wrong thing or made the wrong move it was all over and she wouldn't have to worry about her future anymore.

 _So this lady knows everything about me?_ she asked herself. _Well, does she know I take fencing classes?_

With trained lightning reflexes Viv grabbed the woman's hand with the gun and aimed the gun over her head. She placed her feet on the woman's stomach and threw her over her head.

Viviane turned her body around as the lady's came crashing to the ground, the gun flying from her hands. Viv went to reach for the gun to use in leverage against the female attacker but thought against it, instead knocking it under her car (which emitted a loud grumbling sound, but Viv wasn't paying attention). Even if she used the gun on the lady, which she didn't think she was capable of, she would probably be disarmed immediately. She would rather not reintroduce the gun into the field.

Viv was shocked to see that the lady was already standing again after Viv slid the gun away. The lady delivered a swift kick to Vic's stomach, making her collapse again. Another kick to the ribs left her wheezing, but Viv needed to get up, move, do something. The next kick Viv caught in her hand and redirected away from her body, using the woman's momentum to make her slip and fall again.

Grunting in pain, Viv forced herself to stand. Recalling from memory that the lady favoured her right hand when threatening her with a gun, Viv stomped on the lady's curled right hand, cringing at the crack sound it made.

Viv was not a violent person- she took fencing classes to VENT her anger in an acceptable fashion- but a part of her felt satisfied when the lady cried out in agony as her right hand was shattered. Viv wasted no time to crawl on the lady, resting her knees on the outstretched arms, and put her left hand on her throat and her right on her face, forcing the lady to look at her. Slowly, she applied pressure to the lady's neck.

"Who are you? What do you want from me? What is Trinity?" Viv screamed.

The lady spat blood in Vic's face who flinched but didn't back away. "You're dead, kid. Your whole family is dead." The lady laughed when Viv applied even more pressure to her neck. "Your family can't be the only one to harbour such important secrets! The world deserves to know, and they will. Trinity will make sure if that." The lady paused and smiled. "Just as Trinity made sure to take of that whore, your mother."

Vic's mouth fell open and she froze.

This only made the lady laugh even more. "You dumb bitch, you didn't even know, did you? We could have went for the kill shot- a bullet to the cerebellum- but we chose not to. We chose to shoot her lung so she could die slowly, painfully, choking to death on her own blood."

Viv's mind replayed the memories of that day. Granted, she didn't remember much of that day since she was so young but she remembered they were on their way back home after having lunch out to celebrate something. Once they rounded a corner, there was a loud bang and her mother fell. Her mother was on the ground gasping with blood coming out her mouth. Her father was screaming. Viv was crying. Her mother was looking into Viv's eyes, trying to speak but not being able to. Her mother was grasping onto her daughter, holding tight as if she was afraid she'd fall. Her mother stopped moving.

When she came to, Viv realized she held her hand in a fist above the lady's head. Blood poured from her knuckles and the lady was knocked out cold. She hadn't realized she'd been punching the lady until it was too late.

10 years later. Viviane thought she was over it all. Guess she wasn't.

Panting, Viv moved to sit on the ground next to the woman. Inspecting her knuckles she found the skin was cracked and raw but there wasn't a whole lot of blood emanating from the wounds. The blood must've come from the lady then.

Slowly, Viv turned her head to inspect the damage she did unto the lady. Sadness struck her when she noticed the lady was oozing blood everywhere. Her nose was definitely broken and cut, her left cheekbone may be fractured from how dented it looked, and her face began to swell and bruise. The lady's mouth was partially open to reveal some blood that pooled in her mouth.

 _Damn,_ Viv thought. _I hit HARD._

Viv reached over and rested the lady on her side to prevent her from choking on her own blood. _Though that would be karma,_ thought Viv. An eye for an eye. She could die like her mother did. But no, she wasn't a murderer. Not like this lady.

Viv crawled under the car and retrieved the gun in a soft grip. The only knowledge she had of guns was from movies but it wasn't hard to check how many bullets were left in the gun- 3- and to turn the safety on. Grunting in pain, Viv stood up, using the car for support. Once on her feet she leaned against the car and tried to catch her breath. Viv can sure hit hard, but that lady can sure KICK. Lifting her shirt she found two small bruises beginning to form, sure to get larger later. She felt her ribs but nothing seemed broken to her. Letting her shirt and hoodie fall back down, she slowly opened the driver's side door and sat inside. She pulled down the visor and noticed the right side of her face was slightly swollen and bruised, but nothing too bad. She still needed to clean herself up a little.

5 minutes later she had finished one of the water bottles she packed. She used it to clean her knuckles and her face before gulping down the rest. She took off her hoodie to use it as a towel and dried her hands and face. Throwing the dirty hoodie on top of the woman's body she made her way into the driver's seat of the lady's car. Viv searched for any clues she could find on the lady's identity but there was nothing in there of use to her. She found a pair of binoculars, though. That's creepy.

Viv perked at the sound of a phone ringing, standard tone. Following the sound she saw the light flashing in one of the woman's pockets through her clothes. Viv carefully took it out and saw she had an incoming call from an unknown number. Hesitating, she finally hit answer and put it on speaker.

A man's voice came through. "Has the target been spotted?" Viv stayed silent. "Come in... Agent, come in. Has the target been eliminated? Hello?"

Viv ended the call and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. So Trinity really was real. They were an organization of...assassins? Why the hell were they targeting the Wemblys?

 _We have secrets, the lady said,_ thought Viv. _We know things. What do we know? What are you hiding, dad?_

Viv tossed the smartphone on the ground and stomped it to death, grunting in pain as she did so. She checked the woman's pockets for any other information but found nothing. Leaving her there, Viviane walked over to the lady's car and opened the hood, messing with the engine. She didn't really know cars but she didn't think it could run if she took off some caps and unscrewed things from each other. She chucked the caps in her hand into the woods hoping this would leave the lady stranded. Bitch deserves worse.

Viv carefully picked up the gun she left on the hood of her car and placed it inside the glove compartment. Putting on the Ray Bans and turning over the car, she reversed as to not run over the lady- _even though she deserved it_ \- and turned around on the road, heading back the way she came. If it was one thing Viviane needed in this moment it was answers.

She needed to go back home.

"Damn," Viv laughed to herself, her throat raw and her voice scratchy. "I didn't even get her name."


	3. Chapter 3

**And she's back with another chapter! I love all the reviews you guys keep sending my way, I read through each one and truly appreciate you guys taking the time to leave one! Talking to you, Guest, AutobotGuy710, and Coffeeshopsandcookies! *winks***

 **This one doesn't have a lot of dialogue and is mostly just a filler but a lot of stuff happens, trust me! I personally don't like chapters where barely anything is being said but this had to be written. Next chapter will have more dialogue, and the following one with have a lot of Hot Rod so stay tuned! Trust me, this'll get better just bare with me!**

 **Again, another disclaimer that I am American and am a product of the American public school system. Also, I'm broke so I never left the country. I don't know what England looks like besides from geographic research and I don't know how spread out country roads are from cities. Even if it's wrong just remember that this is fiction and I'm a dumb American. But I like to thank CoffeeshopsAndCookies for pointing out to me the problem of Viviane being too young to have a provisional drivers license. In this story she is 16 but you must be 17 to obtain one. When I did my research before I wrote this story the website I looked at said you can have a PDL at 16 in England. Either I misread it or the website was incorrect, I don't know. Sorry for the mistake! She'll still remain 16 though since it's too late to change. Oh well. I do try to do a lot of research before writing to make it as accurate as possible but sometimes I fall through on things, I'm only human.**

 **Anywho, onto the chapter! Thanks for continuing to read my story and remember to drop a request, like, follow, whatever.**

 **P.S. I have to work 10 hours tomorrow, RIP me :'(.**

 **P.P.S. I will be providing translations from French to English at the end of each chapter.**

* * *

 _Mon Dieu!_

He knew there was something wrong. He's spent decades alongside humans and can easily tell when one of them was sketchy. It's helped him fight in the human wars.

When the car, stationed on the side of the road all night, began following them, he was worried.

When the car drove a little too close to him, he was worried.

When the car slowly drove around them, the woman inside taking her time to glare at Viviane, he knew there would be trouble.

He just didn't expect _this._

He remained in vehicle form even when the blonde attacker drew a gun on Viviane. He barely had time to react when Viviane was struck and fell to the ground. In fact, that's where he drew the line and readied his body for a quick transformation to kill the lady attacker and save his charge. After all, he predicted the shady driver was a member of Trinity and saved revealing himself until he was absolutely needed.

What he didn't predict is that he _wasn't_ _needed._

He watched in awe as his charge, his little lady, fought off her attacker by herself, throwing the woman over her body and kicking the gun away- _smart,_ he thought. He remained in vehicle form, engine rumbling in anger, even when Viviane was being kicked in the side by that _chienne_ and he saw her quickly recover from the blows and best the lady once more. He watched with sick satisfaction as Viviane shattered the lady's hand underneath her foot and mounted her, demanding answers.

Humans were fragile things, such is true with all organic creatures he's encountered. They couldn't take a missile to the chest like a bug bite and continue fighting like Cybertronians. However, watching Viviane fight off someone almost twice her size and age with such ease made him think of her more as an equal.

When that _putain_ mentioned Viviane's mother- the only Wembly he failed to protect- to the girl he almost transformed on the spot just to silence her foul mouth and spare Viviane the pain of listening how her mother died. He knew she was just a child when it happened and didn't quite understand who or what or why, and her father never answered any of her questions for her. But he was too late and could only watch on in horror and despair as his charge lost more of her innocence to the cruelty that is Trinity.

Luckily, he thought, Viviane stopped herself in time to not become a murderer. But at least she shut that Trinity lady up and showed her a thing or two about messing with the Wemblys.

 _That's my girl,_ he thought to himself with a smile, watching as she cleaned herself up, disposed of her hoodie, and took the gun with her. He laughed to himself when he saw her rooting around under the hood of the woman's car, rendering the woman stranded.

He was surprised by Viviane yet again when she turned his vehicle form around and began heading back the way they came, back to her home. He was excited for a moment, thinking that this crazy encounter scared her from running off and she would go home to her father where she would be safe from Trinity.

He should've known it wouldn't be that easy.

* * *

Viviane had a convoluted, elaborate plan that she knew would work to evade both the police force, should they be after her, and Trinity. It would involve hours of traveling, hiding, and sneaking.

She thought of this plan within the span of half a minute.

She parked her father's car at the DVLA, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, a parking lot she knew to always be crowded and could keep her car hidden in plain sight. The closest DVLA to Oxford was in Birmingham and so, after emptying the contents of her backpack in the trunk of the car and propping in on top her shoulders, she took a bus from Birmingham to Oxford. The bus ride took about 2 hours and she arrived in Oxford at 1:24pm.

Despite not being allowed to leave the house very often, Viv still knew her way around Oxford very well. Using her knowledge of her hometown she walked from the bus station to her home, a trip that took almost 2 hours due to her taking backways where there was less people. She stopped a few blocks away from her home, however, and found a spot in some nearby bushes where she could wait until part 3 of her plan.

She knew the house schedule by heart, of when the maids would be coming and going and what her father usually did at certain times of the day. Maids would usually leave the house by 6pm and her father wouldn't leave his study until maybe after midnight every day. Viv knew she couldn't wait until her father left the study to raid it because when the maids left they would activate the home security system, so she needed to sneak back into her house before then.

So she waited in those bushes for a little over 2 hours, buying time with eating the food she packed, tending to her injuries further, and going over her plan trying to find any follies.

She found none.

She left the bushes and moved to observe her house from a distance. The maids were an ordered service, a professional company, and so they would all arrive and leave in the same van. The second Viv saw the first maid head to the van she made her move.

Quickly and quietly, staying out of sight, she moved to the back of her house and crawled through the ground floor laundry room window. The maids would often leave it unlocked because they opened it so frequently. She waited with an ear pressed to the door until she heard no more sounds in her house before opening the door to the laundry room.

It was strange, she thought, to be in this house again. This very house that she vowed to never return to the night previous, and now she was stepping foot inside it again. Willingly.

"Dammit!" came her father from upstairs, throwing something against a wall. Viv flinched at the sound even though she was used to hearing it so often. "How far out are they?"

Viv straightened her back and perked her ears, interested. She assumed he was talking on the phone to somebody since she couldn't hear another voice in the house and she didn't see another car in the driveway. Her father always spoke on the phone in hushed whispers though, he never yelled.

"Viviane is safe, she's with HR," her father continued. _HR?_ thought Viviane. "However, Viviane is nowhere near me. She took off last night to God knows where." Viv gasped slightly at the realization that he did know and care about his daughter's whereabouts, even though on her way home she didn't see any news of an APB out for her. "No, don't bring HR into this. Wherever Viviane is it's better she stays there with HR and away from us where she's a target.

"I-I know! _I know!_ I'm going to the safe house right now. _Be there_ when I get there and _bring everyone._ If Trinity wishes to make their move on us now then we shall strike back as well, just as hard. I'll see you in 8 hours. Wembly out."

Viv stood frozen in the living room, not knowing what to do or what to think. The movements upstairs never ceased as her father moved around in a hurry. When she heard the sound of feet hitting the stairs she bolted back into the laundry room and quietly closed the door. She listened as her father fumbled around on the ground floor for a minute before closing the front door behind him, the sound of his footsteps slowly fading away.

 _The lady was right,_ was all Viv could think. _My father is hiding so much from me. I don't even know my own family._

 _Did my mother keep secrets from me as well?_

Swallowing, she left the laundry room and slowly made her way up the stairs to her father's study, suddenly feeling exhausted. She couldn't understand why someone so close to her could keep his entire life hidden from her even though he lived only a few doors down from her. Yesterday she was a normal girl with daddy issues and today she learned her father has been fighting this secret organization of assassins named Trinity for years.

Fighting for what? People fight because of grudges. They fight over territory, resources, and information. There must be something her father has or something he knows that keeps Trinity tethered to them. What is so important in her father's possession that it keeps this organization coming back to get?

Viviane opened the door to her father's study and sighed as she looked around. She's only been in this room 2, maybe 3 times in her life, and it's only ever been for no longer than a minute as she was immediately kicked out each time, a maid dragging her away by her arm as she begs for her father to let her stay or to finally come out of this room and play with her. Each time she entered she tried to memorize as much of this room as possible since she doubted she would ever return.

The last time she was in this room was 6 years ago, and a lot can change in 6 years. Stacks of paper were littered across the floor and the wall to ceiling bookshelves were completely stuffed with books. Her father's desk was a mess with paper and pens practically falling off the sides. On one wall were a bunch of pictures taped up with red string connecting a few of them together old school style. She didn't remember there being so much _stuff in this room how is she going to find anything in this clusterfuck?_

Viviane pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath in and out. _Okay, focus, Viv. Time to use this giant brain of yours to solve this puzzle._

Viviane always loved puzzles, riddles, and mysteries growing up. It forced her to think intuitively and really use her brain to solve problems. She wasn't the kind of person to give up easily or, really, to give up at all. She would stick with something until it was figured out, sometimes spending hours or even days on a single riddle. It would fill her with joy when she would solve it and then she would move onto the next.

 _Okay, so, dad left in a hurry. He didn't have time to pack everything or shred any evidence. But, he's hiding something from them, from Trinity. He doesn't want to give them what they want, which was knowledge. He ran from home because Trinity was going to-_

Viv gasped and her heart began to pound rapidly in her chest. _Her father fled from home because Trinity is coming._ They were going to raid his house, steal the information they needed, and kill him. And from how he sounded, they shouldn't be far away.

 _I have to hurry or they're going to come and kill me!_ she thought. _Okay, okay, stay on track, Viv. You have time. Think,_ think.

 _Dad wouldn't just let this organization who terrorizes him and who killed his wife just_ take _what they want. He's putting up a fight. So that means all the information in his study is stuff Trinity_ already knows. _Whatever information they don't know is currently traveling with dad to this 'safe house'._

"Tsk," murmured Viviane to herself. "So this-" she gestured to the room "-is _junk_ information. Great. I won't have anything over Trinity if they already _know_ all of what's here." She sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, considering I know nothing and something is better than nothing, I guess this is the place to start."

Working quickly, Viv jogged over to her father's desk and scanned all the documents atop it. These were police reports of deaths scattered across the UK where all victims appeared to have committed suicide even though they showed no signs of depression or self-destructive behavior. She guessed her father assumed they were murdered by Trinity. How did he obtain police reports?

Moving along, she opened a portfolio with loose pieces of paper scattered throughout. These were all notes made in her father's (deplorable, undecipherable, abhorrent) handwriting. He seemed to write down his thoughts a lot as he wrote questions and, later on with a different coloured pen, crossed them out and answered them below. He rambled on about Camelot and ancient times, relics and myths. A bunch of gibberish to her.

Turning to her right her gaze fell upon the wall with red string connecting certain photos and documents together. Scanning them quickly she found the right side of this wall pertained to Trinity. Photos of random people dressed in business attire taken from a distance scattered the wall.

Some of them had red X's marked over them. Viv decided not to dwell too long on what that meant.

Her father scribbled notes next to them as well, such as assigning a certain agent a name and the date and location they were spotted. It seems her father was tracking the path Trinity took to gain as much knowledge as her father had.

 _Over what, though?_ Viviane grew frustrated. She knew all this! All these documents were telling her was that her father was tracking Trinity, an organization who kills people, and their ascent to knowledge. What they _weren't_ telling her was the one thing she needed to know: knowledge of _what?_ What was it that Trinity was seeking? Nuclear codes, home addresses of England officials, known overseas spies, _what were they looking for?_

In her peripheral vision she spotted something written in large red marker and turned to read it.

 **WHERE IS MERLIN'S KEY?**

' _Where is Merlin's key?',_ thought Viv. _Merlin, as in the wizard Merlin? With magic and dragons and legendary staffs?_

She snorted and shook her head. _Can't be. Surely all these murders and secrets aren't due to looking for some hidden treasure? Like, as in magic?_ _These_ adults _are killing each other over relics that don't even exist?_

Concentrating once more, she looked over the board. The left side of the board was all about Camelot, Merlin, Lancelot, and other legends of the olde times. Red lines connected a relic to an assumed location and next to it was information written by her father about said relic. Merlin's staff was one of them, along with a key to find the staff.

 _This_ is the kind of stuff her father was dedicated to? Magic and searching for mythical relics, all this garbage? He was more concerned about _this shit_ than _raising his own daughter and behaving like an actual father to her?_

Enraged, Viv grabbed a section of the wall in her hands and ripped it off the wall, crumbling it up and throwing it on the ground. Her own father was a _delusional madman_ who preferred chasing after wizards' staffs than being a father!

Viv fell to her knees and punched the floor, screaming out her frustration. All this time she thought her father was working for the government and that he was one of their top intelligence officials and this was why he was always so secretive. When she was younger she bragged to all the kids in school that her father was practically the Queen's right-hand man and that he knew everything.

What a load of shit all that was. All that anticipation built up over years and years and it turns out he was chasing fairytales and killing people. How did he even support the family financially over the years? What, was he also running a drug cartel?

When her vision cleared she looked down at the papers she grabbed off the wall in front of her. Grabbing it, she unrumpled it and looked at its contents. Apparently, according to the legends, Camelot was Standish, England. Her father had searched the town but couldn't find anything that led to the key. This key would then lead to the location of the staff, but this key was shrouded with so much mystery and innuendo that he even doubted it existed.

She almost threw the paper back on the ground when something caught her eye. Squinting, she brought the paper close to her face and read it.

 _My only hope is that I find Merlin's staff before Trinity so that it can stay within the family,_ it read.

Viv blinked. 'Within the family'? Did he mean to say that he believed he was related to Merlin, the famed wizard of Camelot?

A little voice in her head told her to turn around and she did. Her eyes scanned the bookshelves stuffed with hundreds of books until they landed on one in particular: _Merlin Family Tree._

Standing, Viv walked over and grabbed it. She flipped through the pages and her brain could barely keep up with what she saw. This book went back a hundred years and contained the names of thousands of people. The book looked like it went through hell and back and many of the pages looked to be add-ons. It went all the way back to Merlin's own parents until it stopped at modern times.

Robert Wembly. A dashed line representing marriage connected her father to her mother, Elizabeth Forager. There was only one line beneath the two of them.

 _Viviane Wembly,_ it said.

Viv blinked a few times, thinking maybe something was caught in her eye and she wasn't reading it right. Was this book claiming that she was somehow related to… _Merlin?_

The loud bang of a door closing ripped her attention away from the book in her hands and she focused on the noises coming from downstairs.

"Check upstairs and keep your gun up. Mr. Wembly is heavily armed and his location is unknown. Find his study. Go."

Viviane gasped, her mind going into overdrive. They were here! Trinity was already here, in her home!

Panicking, Viviane closed the book, snatched up the documents she ripped off the wall, and quietly ran into her room across the hall and closed the door behind her, locking it shut. She stayed still as she listened to the sound of feet hitting the ground, a pair coming up the stairs. How many were in the house? She counted at least 4.

She held her breath as 2 of them reached the top step and began walking around. She nearly jumped out of her skin when one of them, a male, said in a deep voice, "This way. This looks to be the study." She listened as they walked away from her door and down the hall to the study she left open.

 _Shit shit shit,_ she thought to herself. _What am I gonna do?_

As quietly as she could she took the backpack from her shoulders and unzipped it, placing the items she stole from the study inside, zipped it back up, and placed the bag back on her shoulders. She made her way toward the only window in her rather large room and lightly pulled aside the corner of the curtain.

There was a giant, black SUV parked in front of their house. The windows were so dark that she couldn't see anyone inside but there was no one else, it seemed, outside the house. They must all be inside.

But could this single black car be all? It seemed her father was important to Trinity and had evaded them for years now. Would they only send a lone squad to deal with him? Isn't that kind of stupid?

 _You know what's stupid?_ Viviane asked herself as she opened up her window. _This._

Viviane positioned herself to sit atop the window frame with her legs dangling outside and her hands gripping onto the sill. Her room was on the second floor of the house so it wouldn't be too long a drop and she would survive with no more than a few scrapes and bruises, maybe a twisted ankle. Besides, what other choice did she have? Engage 4, maybe more, assassins that belonged to an organization that tried to kill her earlier this morning and run out the front door? She wouldn't even make it down the stairs before she joined her mother in the afterlife.

As if on que, the door knob to her room started jiggling. A gasp escaped her lips before she could help it and her head whipped around to face the door.

"Hey," shouted a voice, female this time. "There's someone in here!"

The jiggling on the door intensified and footsteps could be heard approaching her room. They began to kick the door. Viviane looked down at the ground.

 _Well,_ she thought. _It's now or never._

Viviane fell just as the door was busted open and someone shouted "Hey!" She bent her legs at the knee when she connected with the ground and kept her feet as straight as possible to avoid twisting or spraining her ankle. Grunting, she placed her hands on the ground to steady herself.

 _Holy shit,_ she thought to herself in amazement. A wave of pride washed over her as she realized she just jumped out the second story window and survived without a scratch.

"Hey!" said another voice, male this time. Viv turned around to see a man in her house looking at her through the window. In his hands he held a gun. "Don't move, Viviane!"

 _HOLY SHIT,_ she thought to herself for the second time in the span of a few seconds. Without hesitation she took off running, slow at first as her legs adjusted to this activity but she quickly sped up. She heard movement and yelling coming from behind her and the unmistakable sound of gunfire. _They're shooting at me!_

Viv pumped her legs as fast as they would take her, her backpack slamming against her back as she ran through her neighbor's yards and around corners, bullets whizzing past her head. She ran toward the direction of the center of town, hoping to lose them there.

After a few minutes of running, Viv stopped on the side of the road and placed her hands on her knees, bending over to take a break. She panted hard but the adrenaline from running from death kept her from collapsing in exhaustion.

She looked up to find herself on the side of a busy road. Flagging down the first cab she saw- or, rather, jumping in front of the first cab she saw and demanding the driver stop and let her in- she jumped in the backseat and asked to be driven to the bus station as fast as possible, skillfully avoiding the questions he had about her frantic appearance and instead chose to look out the window to check for signs of Trinity following her.

Once she reached the bus station she got out, giving the driver a 50% tip and thanking him. With the adrenaline still pumping in her body she ran up to the ticket lady, trying to look as calm and collected as possible, and bought a ticket for the next bus to Birmingham.

"You're just in luck, kid," said the old lady, the corner of her mouth turning up in a half smile. "The next bus there leaves in 4 minutes. You better get over there fast."

Muttering a quick 'thank you' she did as she was told and boarded the bus. She sat in the middle and away from the window seat on the off chance Trinity would drive by and see her in the bus.

She finally managed to calm down enough during the 2 hour trip back to Birmingham. Night had already fallen outside and she asked a nearby passenger for the time; 7:58pm. They would arrive at Birmingham close to 10. During the trip she didn't dare to open her backpack and reveal its contents and settled for occupying the time by listening to the music the bus provided and guessing the occupations and social classes of all the other occupants.

When they arrived in Birmingham she made sure she was the first one off the bus, ignoring mild complaints from the other passengers as she pushed past them. They weren't running for their lives: they didn't understand. Luckily, the bus station was close to the DVLA and she only had to walk a short distance before being reunited with the car. She had to blink the exhaustion out of her eyes because she could have sworn she just saw the car jump a little on its axels.

She got into the driver's seat and placed her backpack in the passenger's seat. Turning over the car, she left the desolate parking lot and drove until she found herself back on country road. She chose the darkest spot she could find and pulled over to the side of the road.

Exhaustion finally set in from the day and she forced her limbs to comply as she got her blanket from the trunk of the car and lay down in the backseat. Upon careful consideration, she decided to grab the backpack from the front of the car and use it as a pillow.

As she fell asleep, she prayed to the Gods that she didn't believe in that her father was beyond the reach of Trinity in his little safe house with his archaeologist buddies and falling soundlessly asleep as she was.

* * *

 **Mon Dieu- My God!**

 **Chienne- Bitch**

 **Putain- Whore**

 **Hot Rod hates French, okay? He totally hates the language and the accent. He can't get rid of the accent! Please enjoy the remaining chapters of Hot Rod speaking in the language that he (loves) hates the most.**


	4. Chapter 4

**This is the longest chapter I've written so far for this story but it's totally worth it! More dialogue is in this chapter as promised. It was really fun to write! I'm really loving this story and these characters and I can't wait to write the next chapters! 2 chapters in 2 days, go me! :D**

 **Also I tweaked the geography of Standish, England a little to my liking. Don't kill me. Sorry for any mistakes I made/will make with th French in this story. I use Google Translate.**

 **If you've read this far into my story, thanks! I hope you like what's to come because I sure do! Please review!**

 **Now without further adieu, I present to you: Aut Rud! And next chapter even more Haute Raud so stay tuned!**

* * *

 _Cet enfant va me tuer!_

When he watched as Viviane emptied out the backpack and put food and money into it he thought he'd have a Cybertronian equivalent of a- what is it the humans say? _Heart attack._ He knew she would be taking off on her own for some time but he didn't know for how long. He didn't want her to leave his side _at all_ and it pained him to watch her go.

Unfortunately, he couldn't transform and reveal himself yet as she chose the busiest parking lot to leave him in- rather smart actually, his _petite dame,_ almost like she knew about him and was forcing him not to reveal himself.

He couldn't follow her either as this model car didn't come with tinted windows and too many people would be walking by close to him as he drove and could see inside, damn these cities. Plus, his girl was an observant one and he was sure he would be spotted easily.

So he had no choice but to wait. And wait. And wait.

And wait.

He tried to occupy himself by keeping an eye on her the best he could. He hacked into the bus' security cam and any street cameras he could use to track her movements but Viv also traveled discreetly, meaning he could barely keep up with her. He knew she was going home but he also knew she was going to come _back,_ and he did _not_ like not knowing what the plan was.

It was a full 12 hours later that she finally returned. He was really worried watching her frantic expression through the eyes of the return bus' security camera and wondered if she got hurt but when she finally approached him again he scanned her for any injuries, sagging on his axels in relief when he didn't find any.

They drove out to yet another country road where she found a place to park and curled up in his backseat, head resting on that backpack of hers. What was in it that was so important that she had to go back home to get?

And why wasn't Robert answering his hails?

* * *

Have you ever received an injury that hurt more the next day than when you got it?

That's what Viviane felt right now.

The right side of her face where that woman- _may her long walk to town have been awful-_ hit her with the gun was slightly numb and swollen, but the stinging pain from lying on it while sleeping was still ever present. It hurt when she yawned and when she ate her breakfast, 2 granola bars and an orange. The purplish-reddish bruise that formed wasn't actually as bad as she thought it was going to be, though.

But _boy_ did everything else hurt. Her legs were still reeling from that second story drop, the nerves tingling with the memory of the fall, and her torso hurt the worst. Running, stressing, and jumping out of windows after being kicked in the stomach twice by that woman- _may she need reconstructive surgery for her face and hand-_ did not help an injury heal. Sleeping in a car twice in a row didn't help either.

After folding up the blanket and putting it in the trunk, Viviane made her way to the nearest town where she asked directions to the closest, oldest motel or inn. She pulled into the parking lot and parked her car closest to the entrance, grabbing her backpack and her out of the trunk. Before walking in she checked her reflection in one of the windows and tried to tidy up as best she could so they wouldn't turn her away.

Striding up to the front desk with her best smile- _ow it hurts to smile-_ she rang the bell twice. An old man looked up from the book he was reading, the title and author unfamiliar to her.

"Good morning my good man," she began with a cheery voice, "I would like one room for the night please."

The man blinked and pointed to the clock that sat behind him. "It's noon, actually."

Her smile began to falter. "Oh, silly me," she said. _You idiot,_ she thought.

He raised an eyebrow. "You want a room for just one night, huh?" He looked her up and down. "How old are you, miss…?"

"Miss Viviane, sir. And I'm 16 years of age. I have my provisional driver's license here if you'd like to take a look at it."

When he nodded she handed him the document and watched as his eyes scanned it. Sighing, he gave it back to her and put his book down, turning to type on a keyboard that was attached to a computer older than Viviane. "And you want the room for just the one night?"

"Yes sir."

Without turning away from his computer he held out his hand with his palm up. "That'll be 46 pounds, please."

She handed him the currency and he handed her back the change. Wrapping up on the computer he gave her the room key. "Number 19, down this hallway on the left. You need to be out by noon tomorrow. There's a clock in there that you can go by. I don't want to have to knock on your door-"

"You won't need to, thanks!" Viviane took the key and began heading down the hall to her room. She fumbled and fought with the old door to her room for a bit before finally getting inside and closing the door behind her. Leaving her bags by the entrance she made the short walk to her bed and lay down on it, limbs spread out like a starfish.

 _Oh beds, I missed you,_ she thought with a smile. _I hope you don't have any diseases or lice._

After relaxing on the bed for a minute she caught a whiff of what she smelled like and made her way into the bathroom. She hadn't showered in two days! From her luggage she grabbed a pair of navy blue jeans, a white blouse with tiny daisies, a bra, underwear, and new socks. She took this as well as her toiletries into the bathroom where she stripped and started her shower, really taking her time and experimenting with the different temperatures it offered. She washed her hair and body and dried herself using a towel provided by the motel- _so that's what I forgot to bring._ When she exited the shower she dressed in her new clothes, throwing the old ones out, and brushed her teeth and hair while making a mental note to stay in motels more often.

When she was done she grabbed the backpack and sat on the bed with it. The first thing she did was take the book out and open it to its first page. Above Merlin was written _Adhan_ with a dash connected to a series of question marks. It seems the names of Merlin's parents were unknown to the world. She scanned the book, following her ancestry all the way through to the modern times. The name Wembly only appeared during the mid-1800's but continued strong since then, easily the most frequent last name in this book.

Next to her father's name was written John, Viviane's uncle that she never saw anymore. After the death of her mother she spotted Uncle John standing off to the side away from anyone else. Once her father made eye contact with John he left without saying a single word. Viv hasn't seen him since.

There were no more names connected to her mother's name. Maybe they weren't included because she was related to Merlin via her father and thus were deemed unimportant, or maybe her mother was an only child. Come to think of it, she didn't know much about her mother at all. Did her mother know about this?

Viv sighed and closed the book. _More secrets for another time._ Viv was a woman of knowledge and science: she despised it when information was kept from her. _Guess that's how Trinity feels. Too bad for them._

When her stomach growled she slid the book back in the bag, put on her shoes, and made her way out to the car smiling and nodding at the old man when she passed. Keeping the bag with her at all times, she drove to the nearest café and sat down for an actual meal, reading the slips of paper she tore from the wall as she ate.

 _It looks like Standish is the next stop,_ she thought to herself as she read over the documents. They were extremely detailed showing many bits of evidence over time that Camelot once stood in Standish, and Camelot was where Merlin spent most of his time. Sure, her father may have scouted every square inch of the area for signs that could lead to this 'key', but she wasn't her father.

Besides, she would _love_ to see the look on her father's face when she shoves that stupid key he's been looking for in his face the next time she sees him. Oh yeah, she was competitive, and she wanted to make a point to her father to not underestimate her. Maybe then would he actually pay attention to her.

The more she thinks about it the more she buys into believing in this fairy tale. After all, myths are always based on some skewed version of the truth. Maybe Merlin was a real guy who did some card tricks and amazed the drunkards so much that they wrote tales boasting of his (fake) magical powers? It wasn't impossible. However, that doesn't mean there's a staff _or_ a key that led to the staff. The staff used was probably some piece of wood and the key was made up to send people on a wild goose chase. Or to fuck with them.

Either way, she would get to the bottom of this. Consider this another mystery solved by England's finest.

Once she left the café she headed to the nearest electronics store where she bought a watch, a GPS, and a pre-paid phone. She wore the watch and pocketed the phone as she stepped into a supermarket and bought some more travel food and drink as well as some handy accessories to have on the road, all of them being deposited in her bag after being purchased. After her little shopping spree and remembering to keep her head down whenever she walked past cameras she made her way back to the motel.

She was about to exit the vehicle when the little voice inside her head went off, telling her that she was forgetting something. Something extremely important. But what? Oh.

Oh.

Her eyes traveled to the glove compartment where she kept that pistol she lifted from the blonde woman. After looking around to make sure the coast was clear she slowly opened up the glove compartment and daintily took the gun in her hand. She didn't know much about guns but she knew this one was called a revolver. It was coated with one of the darkest blacks she every laid eyes on. If she remembered correctly it had only 3 bullets and the safety was on.

She hesitated for a moment thinking over the pros and cons before slipping the gun into the waistband of her pants. What good would this gun do sitting in her car should Trinity find her in this motel anyway?

As she passed the man at the front desk she smiled and tapped the watch on her wrist, chuckling along with the man. When she made her way back into her room and placed her bag on the ground and glanced at the clock on the wall of her room: 6:03pm. It wasn't too late in the evening but her sore muscles made her feel exhausted sooner than her brain was.

After setting the time on her watch she slipped into her pajamas and slipped underneath the covers of her bed which she _hoped_ were washed often. It didn't take her long to slide into a deep sleep.

* * *

When she woke up the next morning the first thing she did was check the location of her backpack. Satisfied when she saw it didn't move an inch from where she placed it last night she looked at the time: 5:28am.

 _Jesus Christ,_ she thought to herself as she yawned and cringed from the pain of the action. She couldn't think of another time she woke up this early.

Her body refused to move from the comfort of her soft, warm bed and so she laid in it for a few minutes before getting up. Her mind drifted to her father and the question of his wellbeing before she decided to rise for the day and get moving.

Standing, she headed for the bathroom, showered, brushed her teeth, and changed into the clothes she wore the day previous, slipping the gun back in her waistband. She gathered up all her things and put them where she belonged before making the bed and heading out, leaving the keys on the front desk. An object in her right butt pocket of her jeans made sitting down in the driver's seat uncomfortable and she pulled out the nuisance, examining it.

 _Oh, the phone,_ she thought to herself. Viv bit her bottom lip as she wondered if she should use it to text her friends, let them know she's okay. Since she had no one in her home to talk to she's grown used to texting her friends daily, sometimes Skyping with them, to have some idea of what real social interaction felt like. She hasn't talked to them in 2 days and her father certainly hasn't called them to inform them of her wellbeing, so it was the right thing to do.

Right?

With a sigh she slipped the phone into her backpack in the passenger's side and turned over the car. She set the GPS to take her to Standish and listened to some light radio on the ride over, flipping from AM to FM constantly trying to hear some news relating to her.

It was only when she was halfway to Standish and eating a burger from Burger King did she finally hear some news concerning her.

"And in other news,"said a female broadcaster, "police in Oxford received calls last night from people claiming to hear gunshots in their neighborhood. Upon further investigation they managed to recover no signs of any fallen shells or gun residue but we're told some witnesses saw a group of 5 men and woman scanning the ground in front of a house on Peters St before taking off in a black SUV."

Halfway through the broadcast the car groaned and the engine revved. Viv had to slam down on the gas pedal a few times to get it to move, calling it an old bastard and damning her father for owning such a dinosaur.

"That's freaky," continued a young male broadcaster. "What, like some 'Men In Black' shit? I don't believe it for a second."

"There were multiple reports of the same thing, some from even 3 blocks away," explained the woman. "I don't think a hoax could get that elaborate, Timmy. And the same house the SUV was parked in front of? The occupants of the house seemed to have disappeared. The inside looks ransacked and it is unlike the family to leave suddenly like that. The maids that work for them have spoken to the police about their concerns."

"I still don't believe it," muttered the young man.

"You can't fake police reports, Tim," scolded the woman.

It was at that point that Viv switched back to FM radio station. Now that the maids have informed the police about her and her father's disappearance and given the condition of her house and the reports of the neighbors the police should definitely be out looking for the 2 of them now. Great. Well, good think she's been avoiding those security cameras like mad.

It was a little before 9 o'clock in the morning when she finally reached Standish as the traffic hadn't been too terrible and it was a nearly 2 hour drive from the Birmingham area to Standish. The GPS displayed a cartoon image of a building nearby and next to it were the words 'St. Wilfrid's Parish Church'. Viv decided to head over there first.

After parking her car and quickly depositing the gun in the glove compartment she pulled on her backpack and entered through the church doors.

Viviane had been a friend of hardcore science all her life. Her parents never reared her in a church and instead gave her the freedom to choose her own religion in life, which ended up being atheism. Because of this she's never stepped foot inside a church before and never realized how beautiful one could be. The ceilings were at least 30 feet high and large stone pillars held up the round roof. A long red velvet rug was laid out, the same material the pews were covered with. Bibles were placed here and there, either sitting on a pew or inserted into pockets in the wood. Elegance seemed to ooze from the place, and there she stood with a black backpack and a daisy top. She looked like a fool.

There didn't seem to be a single other soul in the church besides her and she had to walk around and call out before someone finally came to greet her. It was a little old man with silver hair and a white smile.

"Good morning child, what can I help you with today?" he spoke in a clear voice.

Viv went to shake his hand and smiled at him. "Good morning, sir. Father? Brother?"

"Father," the man validated.

Viv gave a short chuckle. "Pardon me, I'm new to the church scene. I meant no disrespect."

"None taken."

"I live over in Oxford actually, I'm here visiting the town on holiday. The tales of Merlin and Camelot always amazed me as a child and I decided to visit the supposed origin to learn more about the myths from the locals. I figured this was the best place to start."

The man laughed as she explained herself and gestured for them to take a seat at a pew. "Of course, child! You're not the first tourist that's come here seeking tales from the old. Come, sit down and I'll tell you what you need to know of this place.

"The tales of Merlin and King Arthur and Lancelot and Camelot are all very real to the people of Standish, especially those born and raised. We teach our children of the battles they fought and won and the dragons Merlin summoned with his staff. We even have a festival every year to commemorate the times when men would dress in armour and shoot flaming cannonballs at their enemies. Children play with swords and the older ones search for Merlin's famed staff in the woods connected to this town."

"Why do they think the staff is there?" wondered Viv. "Pretty obvious place to hide a staff that can summon dragons."

The father chuckled. "Of course it is, but we let the children play anyway. It must have something to do with the cave in that area."

Viv perked up. "Cave? What cave?"

"Now you sound just like those youngsters, although they are probably about your age. Anyway, just inside the woods there's a clearing and in that clearing lies the entrance to the cave. There's nothing in there, just rocks and bugs, but a lot of young people go there regardless. For the thrill, I assume."

Viv cocked an eyebrow. "You've definitely gone at some point. Don't lie."

The man laughed and pat Viv's shoulder. "You're right, I did go when I was about your age. I couldn't help it! Everyone is drawn to it at some point."

Viv nodded and stood. "Thank you, sir, for telling me this. I really appreciate it. How can I get to the woods?"

After receiving directions from the father she followed them to a narrow dirt trail that led into the woods. She followed the tire tracks that were left by previous cars to the small clearing the father was talking about. And in that clearing stood the car.

Viv moved to stand at the entrance to the cave, the gun holstered on her side, taking in the vast size and eerie look. It looked pretty deep as even though the sun was shining bright it grew dark in the cave quickly.

Before entering she took out the prepaid phone and the slip with her friends' phone numbers on it. It took a few moments for her to think of what to say before she wrote in a group chat:

 **Hey guys, Viv here. Just wanted to let you know I'm ok. Needed to get out of the house for a bit to get some fresh air. I'll be home in a few days. I'm ok.**

Before she closed her phone she blocked her friends' numbers so she wouldn't receive any messages back. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, she muttered encouragements and began walking into the cave. It didn't take long before she needed to use her flashlight to illuminate the path she took.

The cave led into a mountain so there was no telling how deep it was but Viv looked behind her every so often so she could memorize where the exit was. Her eyes scanned every inch of the walls trying to look for any clues leading back to Camelot or to Merlin.

She gasped in fear when she took a step and heard a crunch. Jumping back she illuminated the ground to find the culprit. A beer can. And not even a good brand of beer. Viv tsked and continued walking.

It didn't take as long as she thought it would to reach the end of the cave. She retraced her steps and tried looking at the walls of the cave from different angles to see if that would help unearth any secrets but she found nothing. Growing quickly frustrated she kicked a rock and began to see why her father abandoned this place as a possible location for the key.

Viv didn't understand. There was a creepy cave and everything! Why wouldn't the key be here?

Viv must have spent an hour or two in that cave and the growling of her stomach forced her to quit early. If her father didn't find anything here and he knew leagues more information than she, what made her think he overlooked something she wouldn't?

Walking with her head cast slightly downwards in defeat she shuffled back to the exit of the cave when she nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of a can being stepped on. Was someone else in the cave with her? Or was it an animal? Or was she just imagining it?

Slowly and quietly, keeping the light cast from the flashlight close to her body, she rounded the corner and came face to face with a group of men.

They all wore business suits.

And carried guns.

Viv dropped her flashlight in surprise when they trained theirs on her, raising their guns to her as well. "Freeze, Viviane!" shouted one of them.

Viv fumbled for a few seconds with her waistband before she finally withdrew the gun she harboured and aimed it at one of the men. "You freeze!" she shouted pathetically. But she knew her attempts were in vain as there were 6 men, 1 of her, and 3 bullets in her chamber.

One of the men, a thin looking black man, remained unfazed at the current Mexican standoff. He crouched down and examined the beer can he stepped on. "Hm," he said with a smile, "Not even a good brand. Kids don't know shit about the real world." Without looking up, he bellowed, "Do they, Viv?"

He let the can fall from his hand and slowly stood to face Viv, a malicious sparkle in his eye. "That's what your friends call you right? Viv? Is it okay if I call you Viv?"

Viv's only response was to train her gun on the man who was talking now making his thugs flinch and shift.

"Now, Viv, you should really be nice to me. I own your life! Right here, right now, I can order my men to shoot you and walk out, maybe find the nearest waffle house and have myself a stack. You're only alive because I am allowing you to be. If you don't drop your gun in the next 3 seconds I will have both your kneecaps blown off, am I understood?"

Viv's breathing picked up. She was really fucked.

 _I'm really fucked,_ she thought.

The man began counting down from 3 and before he got to the last number Viv threw her gun on the ground in front of her.

The man smiled. "Good girl. Now, kick it over to me." Viv complied this time without hesitation. Leaning down the man picked it up and turned it over, fake examining it. "Take her."

One of his goons holstered his gun and walked toward Viv. Before she could think of retaliation the man had already grabbed her and slammed her down on the ground, sliding the backpack off of her and throwing it to one of his buddies. He knelt down next to her, digging a knee into her back and pinning one of her arms tightly behind her. Viv grunted in pain.

The man who spoke earlier appeared within Viv's line of sight, but only his loafers. She knew it was him though when he continued, "This could go a lot easier for you, Viv, if you would just tell me what I want to know. Where is your father? Where is Merlin's key? Where is Merlin _really_ buried?"

Viv managed to lightly shake her head but that only earned her more pressure from the guy pinning her down. It was getting harder to breathe.

"No? You're telling me no?" The man slammed his foot down on Viv's head and leaned into it. "My brother and I have dedicated most of our lives to this. You think because your father is Robert Wembly and you learned these locations alongside the alphabet you deserve to keep this knowledge for yourself? Selfish!"

Viv cried out in pain from his actions, tears threatening to spill over. At least he slammed down on the side without the bruise. Still hurt though.

"You will tell me what I want to know!" the man bellowed with his guttural voice. It echoed through the cave. _"Where is your father? What is the location of Merlin's burial?_ _ **Where is the key?"**_

"I don't know!" Viv yelled. "Please believe me, I don't know! My father left me to go to a safe house, I ran away 2 nights ago. I only learned of my true heritage yesterday when I entered my father's study for the first time! Please believe me! I don't know anything!"

"Sir," said another man. The loafers in her line of sight turned towards the newcomer. "The only things in this backpack are a book of Merlin's descendants and documents regarding Camelot's true location in Standish. Nothing else besides some food and a phone."

"So if she doesn't have the information we need then it has traveled with her father," said loafers. "Burn the bag and take the girl outside to the clearing."

Viv grunted when the man on top of her got off and forced her to stand, her arm still pinned behind her back so hard she thought it would be ripped off. The man behind her forced her forward and was not gentle in leading her out of the cave, past the burning wreck of her bag and its contents. Once they reached the clearing Viv squinted at the light as it almost blinded her. She really lost track of time in that cave. Why did she buy that watch if she wasn't going to use it?

The only things in that clearing were 2 black SUVs and her dinky little car. 2 men must've been keeping watch outside as she now counted 8 members of Trinity.

"On your knees," hissed loafers. A sharp kick to the back of her knees sent her to the ground and she caught herself with her hands. Loafers grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him. "Last chance, Viv. It'll make the difference between a slow death and a quick one."

"Even if I did know the answers to your questions, I would never tell you," hissed Viviane. She tried to keep a strong bravado to piss Trinity off but inside she was terrified.

 _This is it. I'm going to die._

Loafers let go of her face and began heading back to one of the cars. "This one knows nothing. We must find her father. He is the one who will help us.

"Kill her."

The sounds of metal grinding and gears whirring drew everyone's attention away from the girl about to be executed. It was coming from her car who appeared to be moving, shifting, twisting and turning into something that was definitely not a car.

The members of Trinity backed away from the vehicle and shouted obscenities as the thing that used to be Viviane's car was now shaped like a person. It stood about 16 feet tall and you can easily make out which parts of his frame transformed into certain parts of the car he once was. Blue eyes glared down at the group of humans and its fists were clenched.

"It's a Transformer!" shouted the man with the loafers. _"Shoot it!"_

On command all guns were raised and firing at the giant metal being before them. The Transformer took all the bullets without even flinching in pain or moving at all. It seemed to wait until everyone's guns ran out of ammo and the familiar sound of an empty gun trying to be fired rang in everyone's ears.

The men looked to each other in fear and confusion as the Transformer smiled down at them. "My turn," it growled in a deep voice sounding vaguely French.

Men tried to run away from the alien but it was no use: left and right Viviane watched as they were all swatted away or kicked down to the ground, out cold. Viviane didn't think the alien was trying to kill the men but she also didn't think he was trying to _not_ kill the men as she saw blood pool out from underneath some of them.

The Transformer- Cybertronians they were called- had dispatched all the men within a few seconds. He turned to the man with loafers, the one who likes the give out orders, and watched as the man struggled to open the locked door of the car. "No escape for you, _homme morte,"_ it growled.

Loafers raised the gun he took from Viviane and fired 3 rounds in the robot's face and looked shocked when he realized he was only capped at 3 rounds only. He dropped the gun and raised his hands in surrender. "Please, don't hurt me. I'll tell you where Trinity is hiding! I'll tell you who runs it! I'll tell you everything!"

"I said no escape," hissed the robot. He took out a gun- or his hand transformed into a gun?- aimed it at the man who gave the orders and fired a single round. From Viv's point of view all she saw was red dirt go flying and half the car get destroyed.

Viv still sat there on her knees with her mouth gaped open. She couldn't believe what she just saw. I mean, there's been a lot of new developments over the past few days but _nothing like this!_

The giant alien robot transformed his gun away and turned to face Viv. He tried to stand in the most non-threatening way possible and he stared down at her.

Then he _smiled._

" _Bonjour chére!"_ the robot chirped with a cheery and higher pitched voice. _"Je m'appelle Ought Rude."_

It was then that the absurd events that just transpired finally caught up with Viviane's brain and she passed out wondering why the giant alien robot spoke French.

* * *

 **French- English**

 ** _Cet enfant va me tuer!- This child is going to kill me!_**

 ** _petite dame- little lady_**

 ** _homme morte- dead man_**

 ** _Bonjour chere- Hello dear_**

 ** _Je m'appelle- My name is_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this chapter came so late! I was writing it and rewriting it to fit how I want it. In this chapter Viv meets Hot Rod and they speak for the first time so I wanted to write it the best I could! Do I feel I could have done better? Yes, and no. I spent a few days contemplating what I want them to say, etc., so I really put some thought into it. Granted, I also work 2 jobs this summer and the only time I have to write is very late at night so please excuse any grammatical or other errors! I'm trying guys.**

 **It's not very often where I write a piece that spans over a few days tbh. I usually write it all one and done. It keeps me from getting sidetracked and losing what I wanted to say or how I wanted things to happen. Same thing for essays. Anyone else experience this too?**

 **Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows! They really mean a lot to me :) Keep it up and enjoy! It's very soon that this begins to tie into The Last Knight so stay tuned for that!**

* * *

"Oh, little lady, no!" he shouted, his hands waving in the air. He watched as Viviane fell unconscious and raced over to her side, crouching down next to her. _"Enfant?_ Viviane? Please wake up! I mean you no harm!" Viviane lay still and Hot Rod gently poked her. "Viviane?"

He quickly scanned her head to toe twice to check for injuries. Aside from the injuries she obtained from the blonde woman from Trinity- _p_ _eut-être qu'elle a perdu la main-_ that seemed to have slightly worsened from her treatment by these men, her bodily functions seemed to be working properly. Hot Rod could scan her brain but not her mind- he did not know what she thought of him or really what she thought at all and thus could only conclude she fainted due to the shock of everything. His transformation was just icing on the cake.

Softly, he cupped the unconscious girl in his hands and began walking away from the wreckage he created. Once he was clear he transformed back into vehicle mode slowly to allow Viv to gently fall into his backseat. With a screech of his tires he drove out of the woods and away from Standish. He made his way for the closest open country he could find, located only a half an hour away. His tires raced over dirt and grass before finally coming to a halt at the top of a cliff overlooking the water.

He has spent many decades on this planet and has traveled to most of its continents but still he was amazed by its beauty. Everything was silent except for the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks and some birds cawing. A light breeze blew from the shore and Hot Rod rolled down his windows so Viviane could feel the fresh air. The sun's light bounced off the blue waves in spectacles. Times like this made him wish he was an organic so he could feel the sun on his skin and inhale the fresh air. His Cybertronian systems only detected extreme hot or cold temperatures and he did not need to breathe.

Living without sensation was quite…dull.

His attention was torn away from the scenery when he felt Viviane stir in his backseat. He remained completely silent as she slowly sat up, blinked to adjust to the light, and rubbed the side of her face with the bruise.

Suddenly, she stopped. Her eyes grew wide as she looked at her surroundings. She was in the car! The _Transformer!_

Gasping, she made a grab for the door handle only for the doors to lock on her.

"Wait!" it said. "Don't leave!"

It was then that she noticed the windows were all left open, and so did the alien. He began to quickly slide up the windows but not before Viv had stuck half her torso out of one and continued to wiggle out of the car.

" _Sacrebleu!"_ it shouted again. "Wait, don't go!"

But Viv had already crawled out of the window and fell onto the grass. As fast as she could she stood up and began running away from the alien. She heard transformation noises from behind her and turned to see the alien stand up.

When first she heard of these aliens at the age of 10 she was fascinated with their biology. While others were concerned with their legal status, how they would operate globally, whose side they were on and all that nonsense Viv was asking how they could transform. Did they have to consciously move every single part? Did they chose which body part transformed into what? What temperatures could they withstand? Could they self-heal? It was incredible to see a transformation up close but also, Viv admits, terrifying. Was this an Autobot? A Decepticon? What did it want with her? Why did it save her?

With her mind going a million miles an hour Viv didn't pay attention to where she was walking. Hot Rod saw her slowly back up to the edge of the cliff. She was going to fall off!

"Non!" he shouted, waving his hands frantically. This only served to scare Viviane further as she hurried her pace. Her right foot stepped down onto thin air and her arms pin-wheeled as she began to fall backward. _"Viviane!"_

Hot Rod took one big step forward and snatched Viv in his hand as soon as both her feet left the ground and she was airborne. Realizing she would only freak out more with her in his hand he turned 180 degrees and dumped her on the ground facing away from the cliff. "If you want to freak out," he continued, "do it this way!"

On que, Viv turned around and began running the opposite way, away from the cliff.

" _Non!"_ Hot Rod shouted. He ran around her to stop her in her tracks, posing to appear non-threatening. _"Mon Dieu,_ I didn't mean it literally! Please, stop!"

"Who are you?" Viv shouted. She finally stopped running but remained tense. "And what do you want?"

Hot Rod put his hand on his chest. "My name is Ut Rud, and I-"

Viviane cocked her head to the side. "Ut what?"

Hot Rod shook his head. "Non, est Hut Wud."

"Hut Wud?"

"Aut Rud! Ot Rud!" When he saw her continued confusion, he sighed, and in his best non-French accent he drawled, "Hot Rod."

"Hot Rod?" asked Viv.

He pointed to her, smiling. "Yes yes! That's it!"

 _Hot Rod,_ her mind told her. _Hot Rod. You know this._

" _Viviane is safe, she's with HR," her father said._

" _No, don't bring HR into this."_

" _Wherever Viviane is it's better she stays there with HR and away from us where she's a target."_

"HR," Viv whispered to herself. She looked up into the alien's eyes, which reminded her of a vanity. "You work for my father?"

"Oui, I do! I have worked for your family for generations."

"What do you do for my father?"

"What I have done for countless other Wemblys: I provide protection."

"Protection against what?" As she spoke her body language grew more comfortable, Hot Rod noticed. "Protection against Trinity?" Hot Rod nodded. "What makes an alien travel all the way across a galaxy or wherever you're from to protect _one family?"_

"Your family protects Cybertronian secrets and I protect them."

A few moment's pause. Then: "So where were you July 18th 2007?" Viv narrowed her eyes at him. "1:31pm. 9 Little Clarendon Street?"

Hot Rod sunk into himself, looking sad. He knew what she was referring to. He knew what was coming next.

"Where were you when my mother was shot?"

Hot Rod closed his optics and looked away from his charge. This was the exact time and place where he failed the Wemblys. He never failed. He prided himself on his ability to detect danger from anywhere, to predict it. He failed to predict the danger that family was in that day and he never let himself forget it. What if the bullet hit Robert? Hit little Viviane? All 3? He saw himself as the reason Viv grew up without a mother and, by extension, a father.

That one day led to this exact moment.

"As I recall," Viv continued, "you were there that day. Waiting there by the curb. You did nothing."

Hot Rod vented air through his nasal passage to replicate a sigh. "You are right. I was there. And I failed to protect your mother. It was the only time I ever failed to protect a Wembly. I never let myself forget it. I-"

"'Only time' you failed to protect a Wembly? What about the other day when the blonde woman attacked me? There you were again, _right there,_ doing nothing! _I could have died!"_

"Madamoiselle, you do not understand. I would give my life if it meant protecting you. _I was there,_ ready to defend you, but you did not need my help. You have grown into such a strong fighter, _ma fleur._ I fear there may come a day where you don't need me anymore."

Viv forced herself to calm down, to let go of her anger. She noticed how deflated the alien looked- and frankly how _human_ he did too. He's confessing to her the truth, something her own father never did to her. He genuinely appeared to be guilty and regretful. Viv realized that he really does care a lot about the Wemblys, especially her. Respects her, even. She's wondered how many Wemblys he's befriended and how many he had to watch die.

 _I shouldn't be so harsh on him,_ she thought. _He's lost people too._

With a sigh, she placed her hands on her hips and looked at her surroundings. "Where are we?"

"30 minutes outside Standish." Hot Rod appeared grateful for a change of subject.

"And what of Trinity's men? Did you kill them?"

Hot Rod puffed his chest out and stood tall, proud. _"Just one,"_ he growled.

Viviane nodded. She couldn't get mad, she was just glad to be alive. She looked back at Hot Rod. "Do you know where my father is?"

A pause. "He's in a safe house with his comrades. Good men."

"Yes, but do you know _where?"_

Hot Rod looked visibly uncomfortable. "Well, you see, if I tell you where then you'll want to _go there_ and, um…" Viv crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow as if to say 'well'? "Well, they're most likely planning a return strike on Trinity. The war was never this bad- Trinity never was this harsh, this demanding. They crossed a line when they attacked you, too. Robert, your father, will want to try to end it once and for all. For your sake, Viviane, it should be kept a secret."

Viviane rolled her eyes and looked away, unimpressed. "Besides," Hot Rod continued, "they may not even still be there. If they're smart they'd keep moving. I haven't received any transmissions from Ro-your father so they're going dark. I'm sorry."

Viviane relaxed a little more, taking in some comfort from the fact that she's not the only one her father is ignoring. "They all want to get this key. What do you know about the key?"

"Just as much as your father. We've been working together, you see. Those days he would disappear he was with me trying to find it. We need to get it before Trinity so we can keep it safe. Trinity just wants to get it so they can wield the staff and control your world. We _must_ keep it out of Trinity's hands."

Viv nodded. "And the key?"

"The key is real, that's for certain. It was hidden by Merlin himself so that the right people one day could retrieve the staff and use it should they need it. Viviane," Hot Rod knelt down to her, "Cybertronians have been here for thousands of years. They didn't all just come here in 2007. Back in the Golden Age of Cybertron we sent out explorers, archaeologists, to find life on other planets and document them. Protect them. We thought that was our purpose. Your father and I believe that Merlin's staff was given to him by a Cybertronian: it fits Cybertronian weapons descriptions. This is all very real, especially the danger."

Viv nodded, agreeing. "Then we must find the key before Trinity does."

Hot Rod shook his head. "Non, I need to keep you away from this where you'll be safe."

"You said my father and his 'comrades' were preparing for all-out war with Trinity. They won't be looking for the key so we need to. We must not let Trinity have it: you said it yourself. With my father occupied we are the only ones standing between Trinity and that key." Hot Rod looked ready to say no again so Viviane stepped it up a notch. "Besides: I think I know where it is."

Hot Rod looked shocked. "How could you know where it is?"

"You just told me."

"…I do not understand."

"You said the key was hidden by Merlin himself." Hot Rod nodded. "You also said he hid it so the _right_ people could retrieve it."

"I do not understand where you're going with this."

"Merlin was a family man. The best way to keep a secret safe is have it stay within the family. In the tales my father told me when I was young, Merlin often visited his parents in the house he was born. Not a lot of men did that at that time, not when there were wars to be fought."

Hot Rod whirred in understanding. "You think he hid it in the house?"

"Somewhere on the grounds, yes."

"Your father conjectured Merlin's hometown is located in Carmarthen, Wales. He has searched those grounds before, as well as other Wemblys before him. They found nothing, chére, I'm sorry."

Viviane smirked. "My father isn't _me._ Trust me, it'll be there."

Hot Rod hesitated before he smiled back at her, shaking his head as he stood. "Your determination will be the death of us, _enfante._ But I will follow you to Wales. I believe in you. I always have."

* * *

After they agreed to go to Wales they first returned to Standish per Viviane's request. Hot Rod was completely against it but eventually agreed to it. She had him stop a block away from the church so she could run in and talk to the father. She promised to be back within moments.

Once Viviane entered the church she counted how many people she saw: 7. There was a family of 3, a group of female friends, and 1 lone man. They were either huddled on the pews or engaged in conversation with each other. The man seemed to be conversing with the father.

 _Good,_ thought Viviane. She really did not want to do this next part but Trinity burned the bag with her wallet inside and she was out of money. Out of money, out of options.

With light feet she snuck to the donation stand. After making sure no one was watching she took the top off, grabbed the money, and shoved it into her bra. Quickly, she turned around to leave.

"Ah, you're back!"

Viv stopped and looked over her shoulder. The father was looking at her from across the room with a smile on his face. He took a second to dismiss the man he was speaking to before walking over to her.

"How was the cave?" he asked. "Did you go all the way to the end? Find anything?"

Viviane played along and shook her head. "No, sadly, I did not. I just, ugh, wanted to come back and thank you for your help today." She pointed to the donation box. "I donated."

"Ah, you didn't have to do that! But I thank you regardless. Will you be staying in Standish the night?"

Viv shook her head no. "I'm staying with a friend just outside the town. My father didn't want me in a motel room all by myself."

"Good man," the father agreed. "I hope this town was everything you were hoping for?"

"Everything and more, father. Thank you."

He took her hand in his and kissed it. "It was my pleasure to help a young explorer. Not many people your age seek knowledge as you do."

"It is one of my defining qualities," she laughed with him. "But I must be on my way now. Thanks again!"

Once she left the church she left the breath she didn't know she was holding. _I can't believe I just got away with that,_ she thought to herself as she made her way over to Hot Rod. Once inside- a concept that she didn't want to think about, being _inside_ another being like this- she took the bills out of her bra and counted them. It was only 36 pounds. She once had hundreds.

Sighing, she folded the bills and stuffed them in her pants pocket.

"Can we leave now?" asked Hot Rod.

Viv turned her head to the GPS but found it missing. "Where did the GPS go?"

" _Chére, I_ am your GPS. You don't need that trinket."

"It was destroyed when you transformed wasn't it?"

A pause. "Yes."

Viv rolled her eyes. "And my suitcases?"

"They are secure."

"I don't even want to know where those go when you transform," Viv said. "Okay, GPS. How long to Carmarthen, Wales?"

"About 4 hours."

Groaning, she laid back in her seat. She could stand a 4 hour car trip just fine, she just didn't know if she could stand a 4 hour trip with just Hot Rod.

"We could get some food if you need?" Hot Rod volunteered.

Viv shook her head. "No, thanks. My stomach still kinda hurts."

Hot Rod pulled out of the space he parked in. It took some getting used to to realize her car could drive itself. _Himself._ "We could listen to music?"

"My head still hurts from getting stomped on, thanks."

In response Hot Rod slid down the driver's window for her to lean out of. "I'm sorry you're in pain, Viviane. If I could I'd kill that _chienne."_

"It's fine, honest. Now she has to live with a bum hand." They chuckled together. "So what's space like?"

"Sadly, I haven't seen too much of it. I wasn't an explorer, not like Optimus."

"Optimus…Optimus Prime? Your leader?"

"He wasn't always the Autobot leader. He was an explorer, an adventurer. He was the one out searching for other life."

"How did it begin? The war?"

Silence filled the cabin and just as Viviane was about to apologize for overstepping Hot Rod spoke. "During Cybertron's Golden Age many Cybertronians were being created and many more were out on exhibitions exploring the stars. Energon, our fuel source, was being used faster than it was being found. This led to the famine. Our planet was divided into 2 factions: the military and the civilians. Megatron led the military and Optimus the civilians. Megatron wanted to share the energon with the strongest Cybertronians, which would mean just the military. Optimus wanted to divide it all equally. So Optimus and Megatron both set out to find the Allspark, the thing that gives life to all Cybertronians, to help us during this crisis. It fell under Optimus' purview as Chief Archaeologist to find it, but Megatron, that _précieuse piq_ _ûre,_ wanted to find it first to become more powerful. Megatron eventually fell into the hands of The Fallen, became corrupted, and began the war that destroyed our planet."

"Oh…" Viv licked her lips. She didn't know what to say. "Sorry I asked," she said in a whisper.

"But don't worry, I believe that one day Cybertron will rise to prominence once again! This is what we fight for, the Autobots."

Viviane looked out the window. They made it onto the highway and the fresh air was blowing into her face. She stuck her head out farther to enjoy the experience better. "Tell me more about my father."

Hot Rod gave a moment's hesitation to decide what to say before speaking: "Your father fell apart after the death of your mother. He devoted most of his time since to find the killers and find the staff before Trinity. His dedication led to the absence of him in your life."

"Yeah, I got that much," Viv murmured. "Tell me something I don't know."

"He talked about you a lot." Viv snapped her head to look at the car stereo where Hot Rod's voice emanated. "While we were out on missions, if we weren't talking about the mission we would talk about you. Your never-ending search for the truth. Your intellect. Your beauty, both inside and out. He believed that one day you would become the greatest Wembly, untouched by fear or temptations." Another pause. "He wasn't wrong."

Viv chose not to speak after that. She didn't want to say the wrong thing. She wanted to ask Hot Rod how a father could love their daughter so much but simultaneously not care enough to be there to raise her. How he could ignore her. How he could forget the great moments they once shared when her mother was still alive.

Instead she continued to gaze out the window with her chin cupped in her hand. It might have been a little dangerous for people to see that she wasn't actually driving the car but she honestly didn't care.

It was only after Hot Rod announced that they were halfway there that she spoke up again. "So, Merlin, yeah?"

"Pardon?"

"I'm related to Merlin." She scoffed. _"Wow."_

"Yes, Viviane. Along with so many other brave ancestors who are not as famous but every bit as important."

Viviane nodded. "So when we get the key, what then? Hide the key or find the staff?"

"Viviane, the staff is too dangerous to be recovered from wherever it was buried," Hot Rod explained. "It is best to leave it there."

"Okay, but, you said my dad was trying to wipe out Trinity- still getting used to him being a murderer, but okay- well what if he fails? The key helps find the staff but you could still find the staff without the key. The world would be safer if we hid both, I think."

Hot Rod thought it over and tried to come up with a counterargument but failed. "You appear to be correct, once again. After we find the key we shall find the staff and then hide them both."

"And then find my father," Viv finished.

"And then that, too, yes."

Viviane found her voice during the rest of the ride and filled the time with asking questions about what her ancestors were like, what Cybertron was like, what Optimus Prime was like, how their biology works, etc. Hot Rod was happy to answer any questions she had, mostly because he was just happy he could finally talk to her freely after 16 years of knowing her.

While she was asking questions, Viviane noticed Hot Rod seemed to favour driving alongside a certain car. It was a black and orange Lamborghini Centenario.

"That one of your friends?" she asked.

"No, but you won't want to miss this," he responded.

Curious, Viv focused on the other car. She couldn't see a driver through the tinted windows and wondered if a member of Trinity was inside. Suddenly, blue laser lights flashed over the vehicle, going over every inch of it before disappearing as quickly as it came.

"What was that?" she asked.

Hot Rod took the next exit that led into Carmarthen. No one else joined them on the exit ramp. Without warning Hot Rod began to shift. Viv covered her eyes in fear that he was transforming with her inside as her body was shifted around. This lasted for a few seconds before it stopped.

"Viviane, open your eyes," Hot Rod whispered with a hint of excitement in her voice.

She did as she was told. The interior changed to a more modern and sleek design. The cabin was no longer as tall but it was wider than it once was. Hot Rod's hood was longer and when she glanced at the backseat she noticed the back was too.

She looked at the radio. "What the _hell?"_

"Ta da!" he spoke in a cheery voice. "I transform into _new_ car!"

Once her brain made sense of his words- he scanned a new vehicle and became it- she scoffed and beat at the radio. "Don't you _ever-"_

" _Ow!"_

"-do that again!" Stopping and muttering to herself, she commented, "That felt weird."

"But do you like?"

"Ugh, sure, yeah, _way_ less noticeable this way… you know we _are_ in hiding, yes?"

A pause. "So you don't like."

"To be honest, don't know too much about cars, not an enthusiast."

"Ahh!" he groaned in frustration. "Well, _I_ love this car."

"Then love it enough for the both of us, and stick to the speed limit."

Once they arrived in Carmarthen Viv requested a short dinner break. She stopped inside a café to eat, freshen up, and use the bathroom before they completed their remaining 18 minute drive to Merlin's old house. Hot Rod informed her that no one lived there at the moment and it was currently on the market for over a year. Pretty soon it would be demolished so a new building would take its place. Its previous function was a storage for a local farming business who had relocated a while back and no longer needed it.

It was a shame people didn't know how important it was.

The house was a tiny 2 level cottage that looked its ancient age. It was built from stone and brick so the foundation was still strong but the dilapidated look kept people from buying it. Viviane didn't blame them- she hoped she didn't have to go inside the house.

 _No, I won't,_ thought Viv as she looked away from the house to see the woods it overlooked. The cottage also sat within a large open clearing surrounded by rolling hills and tall trees. With no one around Hot Rod felt comfortable transforming and walking with Viv. The land in front of the house was flat but then shot off on a slight incline through the trees.

 _Now, where would I hide the key if I were Merlin?_

"Your father checked every corner of the house," Hot Rod narrated. "He also checked the bases of the trees and the tops of the hills."

"No," Viviane said, mostly to herself. "It wouldn't be there."

Viviane closed her eyes and remembered the tale her father read to her as a child, _Viviane Followed Merlin._ According to lore, Viviane was a lover of Merlin and a princess. She had him wrapped around her little finger. She was named after this character and now she knew why.

 _Viviane followed Merlin,_ she thought to herself. Peering into the only window on the ground level she noticed it used to be a kitchen. This is where his mother would cook and watch him outside playing. She situated herself underneath it and looked dead ahead. There lay a giant stone.

 _Viviane followed Merlin._ Viv walked over to the stone and stood atop it. This is where Merlin would play, she reasoned. He always wanted to be on top, to have power. She peered into the slit that divided the rock almost entirely in 2 and noticed something was lodged inside. Trying to reach it by squeezing an arm down didn't work and so she jumped off and had Hot Rod tear the rock completely in half.

 _Viviane followed Merlin._ The division gave new light to the long untouched object. It was a cruelly made doll, probably designed from straw and other materials, and it barely retained its human shape, but it was clear it was meant to represent a female. Stitched into the head was black hair, probably taken from a horse, and it wore a long, flowy red dress. It was made to represent Viviane, his lover.

 _Viviane followed Merlin._

 _He hid it in the rock so that his family may watch over it,_ she thought, _but he gave Viviane a piece of him to never let go. She guarded his most precious secrets. She kept him…close to her heart._

Viviane dug her nails into the doll and ripped, opening the doll's midsection. She heard a whir as Hot Rod leaned in closer, looking over her shoulder. She continued to rip into the doll and from its inside she withdrew something small.

This was clearly made of metal. If one looked closely one would see an etched design over every millimeter of the object. It looked like someone joined an equilateral triangle on top with an isosceles on the bottom. In the middle closer to the top was attached a small, slightly blue orb. Viviane held the object that was about the size of her head up to the light so both she and Hot Rod could see it better.

 _The key._

A similar blue laser light scanned the object in her hand. "You did it, Viviane!" Hot Rod shouted. "You have found the key!"

Viviane smiled and chuckled to herself, turning the key around in her hand to examine it. A wave of accomplishment washed over her making her giddy. She did it! She really did it! She couldn't wait to shove this in her father's-

 _ **BANG!**_

Viviane stopped smiling.

She dropped the key and fell to her knees in front of the rocks. Vaguely she could hear shouting before she realized it was Hot Rod. A loud machine gun was heard right next to her, along with more shouting. Someone was calling her name.

Her stomach was on fire but the rest of her was numb. When she looked down she saw the colour red ooze from a hole in her belly. Slowly and with arms that didn't feel like her own she covered the hole with her hands, watching the red eventually ooze through them as well.

She blinked and when she opened her eyes again her whole body lay on the ground. She fell on her side looking away from the rocks and out at the trees. Through the trees she saw muzzle fire but did not hear the guns being fired. Black lined the corner of her vision as she saw Hot Rod get hit by a rocket and fall to his knees, looking back at her. He mouthed something to her- or was he shouting? She couldn't tell- before narrowing his eyes and standing up again to fire only to be knocked down by another missile.

Viviane could barely see now, and all her other senses seemed to have left her. Maybe if she closed her eyes for a bit and opened them again things would start to make sense?

Viviane closed her eyes. They did not reopen.

* * *

 **French - English**

Enfant - child

peut-être qu'elle a perdu la main - may she have lost her hand

Sacrebleu - holy blue/God

non - no

Mon Dieu - My God

est - is

Oui - yes

Chére - dear

Th-th-th-that's all folks!


End file.
